Colors of love

Red…

Is what I feel

When you are around

When you smile at me intoxicatingly

Yellow…

Is what I feel

When you shower me with your love

When you care for me like a baby

Green…

Is what I feel

When you talk about others

When you share love with them

Blue…

Is what I feel

When you leave me

When you go far away from me

Black….

Is what I feel

When you make me cry

When you don’t understand me

Please dear, forget me not

Hey! I may not be there

I wish my memories remain

Please dear, forget me not

Please dear, forget me not

I was a part of your life

I was a part of you

I was a part of you

I may have shrunk to memory

Please dear, forget me not

Please dear, forget me not

Think about those good old days

Please dear, forget me not

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Lovable enemy

Love…

An enemy

I was terrified to befriend

The concept was alien

Love…

An enemy

I was reluctant to befriend

The concept was confusing

Love…

An enemy

I was struggling to befriend

The concept was getting clear

Love…

An enemy

I was longing to befriend

The concept was magical

Love

An enemy

The best of all enemies

The lovable of all enemies!!!

Time out with family

 

A

time out with family is always priceless. The craziness and sheer madness… The laughter and lengthy sessions of teasing…. Those gossips and endless discussions how one was as a child… And then the inevitable - How much each one of us have changed as individuals yet stay together as family…

I wonder… Are these the kind of discussions that happens only in India or all over the World?

When there is a reunion, there will be a varied platter of sweets and snacks. Some will be oily some will be made of homemade ghee. Some will be bitter and some sour. Ouch! And some would be spicy. Relatives staying at different part of India and World at times will bring the best cuisine available at their place.

The young and the oldest will get gifts. Such gifts could be anything. It may be pens. It may be jewels. It may be dresses. It may be accessories. And hey! If someone is from abroad, pens and deodorant/perfumes will be there for sure without being skewed to age.

There will be elaborate sessions of dancing and singing. Long discussions on latest movies watched and a list of movies missed; and finest book read so far. Of course, there will be information sharing on who is dating who and who is not seeing who, the break ups and the patch ups – both in cine industry and undoubtedly in family as well.

And ouch! If you are a person eligible for marriage, there will be a never ending match making drama. They make you uneasy by posing innumerous questions. Some would be lame making you just laugh and some would make you twinge due to embarrassment.

If any of your relatives is newly married, then you may get a chance to envision their freaking romantic endeavors. Some would make you flinch and some gives room for you to tease. They keep talking about their spouse… About how good natured they are… how caring they are… what a great pair they make… how marriages are made in heaven. And the worst is when they come to you and advice that marriage is the quintessential aspect of life; that it shows light to the dark solitary life.

Oh… If any of your relatives has a new born baby, they will never stop boasting about them. They share everything about their kid – from peeing to almost anything. They have at least a ton tongues when it comes to rambling about their little tiger/tigress.

In short, if you are married, you can rant about your spouse. If you are a parent, you may rant about your child.

But, if you are single, all you can do is immerse yourself into some book and act as your life’s purpose in itself is reading that book. But hey! Never log into your laptop or tap at your mobile phones. That gives wrong signals to elders. They may think you are in love with someone. They may weave further stories stating that you are standing against marriage because of this “friend”.

But all this madness makes what we are. This madness ties us into one big fat Indian family. A timeout with them can never be boring. All you need to be is a good listener. A smile sprinkled with occasional laughter, nod of the head or a pat on the shoulder depending on the situation is all you need to do. And bang! There you are as an inseparable part of your family. Sharing your family’s USP – madness!!!

Sunny days

Sunny days those were

She enjoyed the shades

Yellow and orange

Saffron and deep red

She observed the transformation

Colors of love they were

Shades of passion they were

The intensity was elating

She was just there

Enjoying

She thought

Sunlight will always be there

That Sun will never leave her in darkness

Heat used to make her feel uneasy

But she celebrated the occasional warmth

Warmth started reducing day by day

Heat became intolerable

She tried hard to sustain

But she failed

The heat was too much to bear

Moving away was not easy

Shade was not friends with her

But, she opted to move on

Sunny days were not all

She realized once and for all

She started walking under the shades

Beads of sweat never erupted

The chill breeze brought smile in her face

She knew Sunlight is not all

Life is far beyond that

She understood the stark reality of life

She treasured those shades of red

Red, the color of love and passion

Yet she opted to move on

For her own sake, if not for sun’s!

Kitnay aadmi thay

This is my third book sponsored by Blogadda for review. And I was beaming radiantly like a baby does. I skimmed through the pages. Felt happy seeing the names of Shahrukh Khan, QSQT, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, DDLJ and so on. After all, I have grown up watching these films. I could not wait to read the book. As I read the book and closed it foir one last time after completing it… This is what I felt like!!!

Indian movies have gone through a metamorphosis. Some movies have been cult enough that they are remembered even today. Some have been such a disaster that people try to forget on the very day of release. Some filmmakers have been trend setters and some have been trend breakers. Some actors created a niche of their own while others were happy following the crowd. Some were bold and some were not. Some were critically acclaimed and some were the King of box office. Some were never tiered of failure and rose against all the odds; while some tried hard but never succeeded. Some were backed by family names and some came like a storm from nowhere and reigned the film Dynasty and the box office. Some star kids shone and some never returned from the dark.

Some songs made us hum and some made us dance. Some songs brought tears and some made us happy. Some songs became anthems and some became exceptional. Some singers gave soul to the song and some bagged sacks of awards.

Some characters in the movies were so real like you and me and some were too dramatic and out of the World. Some heroines looked like Goddess while dancing in a clingy sari and some heroes fought like a warrior. Some cine ma never stood against the wishes of their children and some went against them if they were the wrong doers. Some filmy fathers were dead from the opening of the film and some were killed eventually. Some were identical twins and some shared sibling relationships with animals. Some sisters were always harassed by the villain and some were always the iris of their big brothers. Some villains were always menacing and some were silent killers.

Well… If you want to know who were those and which movies I am talking about… then you have to pick the book titled “Kitnay aadmi thay” by Diptakirti Chaudhuri. The books exceptionally talks about Bollywood films and its journey. The author has put lots of research and has narrated his findings in a very interesting way.  While most of the points he has mentioned is the obvious, it brings a smile of recognition. At times it turns us nostalgic. I liked the way in which the contents are arranged. It is arranged like a movie per se from the titles to credits.

I especially loved the footnotes. It fills the hunger of a movie buff. It fills his appetite of knowing more and everything.

The author’s insanity when it comes to bollywood can be easily smelt as he details about the association of Amul butter with Bollywoood. He has put loads of research into it.

I genuinely wish that the author also acknowledged the magnanimous non-bollywood stars too. The author indeed mentioned those actors who tried hard to create waves in the north and failed utterly. But, I wish that he threw light all others too.

Hey! Aamir Khan had eight packs in Gajini and not six packs. The author has mentioned that twice. It is an apparent misstatement and I wish that the author was more careful.

And the author talked about Aamir Khan extensively. But, he did not mention about the other two Khans. So much was mentioned about Amitab Bhachan; but, nothing much about other stars of golden age.

Well, it is a small book with about 300 pages. We cannot expect much either. Bollywood is an ocean in itself. There is a story behind every story, actors and technicians. Some stories have Bollywood style of endings – happy endings – and some don’t.

What I liked about the book is its genuineness. It is simple and straight from the never shutting mouth of a movie buff. It is more like a proud Bollywood follower’s ramblings than a trivia. If you are an ardent follower yourself, like I am, I bet that you won’t regret for grabbing the book. And, if you are not a movie buff, better get hold of this book and be a part of the great Indian Cinema.

To edit is crisp, it is a straight from heart attempt by the debutant author. It is gripping from the titles to the credits. There are songs… drama… comedy… action… sentiments… dancing heroines… acting heroines…. Action heroes… Passion heroes… and what not!!

Go for the book… Feel nostalgic… feel proud as you read something that you have already noticed. And… tap your head as you realize that you failed to notice the apparent!

This review is a part of the Book review program of Blogadda. Participate now to get free books!
 

Niche

We are born

We cry

We laugh

We love

We hate

We spread happiness

We fill our heart with vengeance

We feel alone

We feel irritated

We feel fulfilled

We dream

We work hard to attain those dreams

We earn money

We spend it relentlessly

But for what?

To take our last breath

To go for our final sleep

To be hung as a portrait in that niche

To be a part of others memories

To be a part of history

Life that is

A journey

With a pre-determined end!

As a part of One Single Impression

Ustad Hotel

Abdul Razak (Siddiq) dreams of fathering a son. And, he is gifted with one only after giving birth to four baby girls. His wife passes away. Razak flies abroad with his five children. His only son, Faizal (Dulquar Salman) is brought up by and amidst of his four sisters. As he grows, his love for cooking also grows. Eventually, it turns as a passion that he goes against his father’s wishes and opts to become a chef! Will Faizal reach heights as a Chef? Is cooking really his passion? Is a good chef one who fills the tummy or the one who both fills the tummy and fills heart with an air of happiness? This forms the rest of the story.

Thilagan, as Dulquar’s grandfather shines. His acting is subtle and he plays the role of a mentor beautifully. The glint in eyes whenever he talks about cooking or his hotel brings a smile in our own face. His crisp flashback on his lady love is charming.

Nithya Menon is gorgeous as ever. She has lost loads of weight and looks charming. She acts as a reflection of today’s generation and their thinking process. She portrays how she is a Gen-next girl amidst of orthodox upbringing.

But, the show stealer with his breath taking performance is Dulquar indeed. He comes across as confused young man. His acting is matured and he is here to stay.

Kerala’s sensational hit – Appangal embadum song – loiters around us and we can’t stop ourselves from humming the song. And, the scenes that follow are something fresh and refreshing.

All the supporting casts, including the kitten stay in heart. The narrative and the simplicity in the narration is the backbone. Also, the background score blends with scenes.

In short, I loved the film. Now, Malayalam cinema is going through radical changes. It is effectively portraying you and me. That is where this movie scores high. The characters are not heroic. They are mere you and me. They are as confused as we are. They are as human as we are. Tears roll down from the eyes of the hero too. He feels hurt too. Such realism only adds to the charm of the film.

I don’t deny that the screenplay could have been a little bit more swift and eventful. But then, I thought, our life is not that rapid or eventful, isn’t it? We lead a normal life and so does the characters in the movie.

Go for the movie. You will feel happy. A smile of satisfaction creeps within.

Four stars and thumbs up for this amazing film…

Watch out for Dulquar…

He is here to stay…

He is the Malayalam cinema’s Ranbeer Kapoor…. If I may say so!!!

Life's Meaning

Oh… Your love

Taught me the quintessential

Life’s meaning

RRR

Life’s meaning

Love and being loved

So blissful

RRR

So blissful

Dreams, relationships

Life’s meaning

       

As a part of Haiku Challenge

Downpour

Downpour drenches the soul

Wipes all the impurities

Rejuvenates

Friendship Vs Love

 

T

here is only a thin line that separates love and friendship.

Why can’t a girl and a boy remain as mere friends?

Why the World always suspects its sanctity?

I have been wondering about this for a long time. It should be due to innumerous movies and fictions. If you are in India and watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, then, you would never forget the famous dialog… Ladkha aur ladkhi kabhi dhosth nahi ban sakthe…

Ouch! Is that really so? I don’t really agree. I would say that such thoughts only deplete the sanctity of friendship.

Friendship is the only group that goes beyond the division of God, religion, caste, language and important of all, gender.

Friendship is a spark and that spark brings the souls together. It ties them with care, love, and understanding.

It is like air. It can never be captured and bottled into a tag named “love”. Friendship is far too beyond that.

Friendship is all about feeling comfortable and being yourself. Sometimes, you may feel so with the same gender and sometimes with the other. That never means that there is an element of love.

If a girl and boy can be friends at the age of 4years… they can be so at 14 years or at 24 years… At 40 years and forever!!!

I wish that movies and books where people remain as friends are made. I wish that the thought process of people change. I really wish that divinity of friendship prevail over the mesh of love.

Hey World! Wake up…

Each relationship has its own flavor

Never corrupt it

The taste would be lost

Forever!!!

Obsessive Blogger

“You have become obsessed with your blog?”

I have been hearing this word for the past eight months. I ignored them saying that blogging is my passion and not obsession.

Until...

Until today… Until now!!!

I have been thinking for a long while now… But I am finding it hard to come up with a suitable topic over which I could tread a post. I thought of writing a poem… then haiku… something… until my inner voice helplessly whined “anything”!!!

Innumerous topics came flooding. I started writing on few. But, a smile of satisfaction never creaked. I typed. I pressed the backspace key. I typed. I edited and ended up pressing the delete key. I typed. Then, I selected the full document and deleted.

I cracked my head and bit my nails. I wore my thinking hat. I stared at the vacuum.

So many faces passed through my mind… Some were my friends’ and some were strange. Some faces were that of the actors in my favorite movies and some were the faces that I had given to the characters of my favorite fictions.

Then, voices started echoing. I heard him say “leave me alone”… I heard her say “leave me alone”. I heard the giggles and heard the sobs.

I furrowed my brows and gazed through my newly acquired spectacles. I presumed that I would be looking like a compulsive thinker. That thought brought a grin and I heard my inner voice say, “obsessive blogger”

This is what Indian movies taught me!!!

I

 am known as a movie buff. I am a diehard fan of Indian masala movies. I love the typical movies where Hero is heroic enough to be God and the heroine is enigmatic enough to be Goddess. I applaud… I comment… I sit cross legged on the cozy multiplex seats. For me get together and outing can never be complete without watching a movie at a theatre. A song will always be running in the back of my mind. I hum selective songs which could suit my mood and the situations. I pride my ability to recognize the song tunes and rightly guess who composed it, the lyricist, the singer, the movie... and what not!!! I relentlessly boast about my ability to recall the song lines impeccably.

Oh… I am a complete movie fan….

And I was wondering... What did movies teach me? Did I learn anything at all?

Yes, I have!!!

And… here it goes…

    The Heroine will always be charmed by the Hero and she would fall in love with him, doubtlessly

    The Heroine will always be cute and she would be either sister or daughter of a gangster… rowdie… bad politician… wanted criminal… or someone who involves himself in criminal activities

    The Hero can look rugged… ragged… bald… fat… dark… old… etc.. etc…. But, the heroine will always be an eye candy. She would be fair… slim… straight hair… an Angel on Earth

    A mole would make the hero unrecognizable and he would look like a different person all together

    The songs will be shot at the most exotic locations... covered with snow… The hero will be wearing a suite or will be covered with layers o clothing and boots. But, the heroine will be wearing a sleeveless micro mini and sandals.

    Miss World or at least Miss India is a confirmed ticket to Bollywood

    A single song can take the hero from rags to riches

    Heroine’s love can change the meanest of culprits. Her love can change the drug addict… obsessive smoker… compulsive drinker

    If the hero is feeling annoyed or romantic... there will be an assured rain

    The hero and his little sister will be very close. The hero will sacrifice everything for his sister’s husband. And the sister will be forbidden from meeting her brother post marriage

    The heroine will realize her love for the hero at the exact moment when another guys extends his hands to tie the knot

    The hero and heroine will be best friends. They would have grown up together. And ultimately, they would fall in the mesh called love

    The hero will be having a best friend. He would totally forget him on getting his lady love

    The hero will be wearing sunglasses even in a fight and it will never once slip off. There will not be a single stain in the white shirt; neither he would be subjected to any wounds

    The hero and the heroine will definitely end up in marriage in the climax

    If the hero’s name is ‘Raj’ in Hindi films and ’Karthik’ in Tamil movies, it signifies that he is romantic… well mannered…. Reliable

    The heroine will be wake up in the morning from bed… Still her hair will be unruffled… Eye makeup on… Even the lips stick will be tantalizing

I think it would be wise if I stop now… The list seems never ending… I have learnt so much by watching movies, isn’t it?

Well, I don’t deny that there are a few out of the box movies too… I don’t deny that some movies really influence us… That they help us to recognize the characters and travel with them… But, no one can deny that those genres of movies are very less.

But hey! I am not complaining. I love such crazy films. I am a fan of it. I am addicted to it. And… I am a proud Indian… Who still loves to occupy the backmost seat in the theater… who loves to nibble a cone ice cream during the intermission… who excitedly wait for the trailers of the latest movie… who loves to ramble about the film…

After all…

Phir bhi dil hain hisndustani!!!!

The Journey towards CA

Ouch!

19^th July, 2011…

It’s a year today!!!

Days are running as if competing in a marathon…

A rather unforgettable day in my life

A day when I was reborn

A day when my dreams were fulfilled

A day when my parents beamed with pride

A day when I became the Chartered Accountant

You may wonder what the big deal about it is. But, for me that is the biggest achievement. It has been my dream which I saw through the eyes of my parents. I was three years when my mother asked me, “Baby what you want to become when you grow up?” I stared looking perplexed. I thought that I was already grown up. She then said, “Say Chartered accountant”. I tried to imitate her; and ended up saying “Chocolate content”

Since then, I used to say “Chocolate content” if anybody asked about my professional goals. When my friends wanted to become a doctor, engineer, teacher, IAS officer and all that, I was content with “Chocolate content”.

As I grew older, my goal started changing. Friends and peers influenced me. Kannada actor Malasree’s movies used to motivate me to become a Police inspector. My mother and all other teachers inspired me to become a teacher. On watching Alaipayuthe, I was dead sure that I should become a doctor like the lead protagonist. The desire to go to IIT compelled me to pursue engineering. My thirst to words and English provoked me to become a Journalist. And, my creativity pulled me towards interior designing and fashion designing.

I was in a complete mess when my 10th standard results came. I knew I can’t stand the sight of blood. Mathematics seemed alien to me. Interior designing and fashion designing seemed like a distant dream! My parents still wanted me to become a Chartered Accountant. Yet they never forced me.

And the D-Day of opting for the preferred group came. I still wonder how. I whole heartedly opted for Commerce. That shocked everyone… from my parents to relatives to friends… And, I did shock myself!

My affair with Commerce started. It was an instant love for both.

Debit and credit

Income and expenses

Assets and liabilities

Planning and organizing

Directing and Controlling

Managing and budgeting

Posting and casting

Vouching and tallying

Ticking and auditing

Information gathering

Explanation seeking

Oh…

Slogging and studying

Dreaming and striving

Struggling for succeeding

And finally…

Passing!!!

Awesome was this journey;

Towards becoming the Chartered Accountant

Looking back, I see happiness surrounding me. I feel accomplished. I feel independent.

Dreams can transform life. Our life may seem like a fairy tale; with happy endings.

Remember Cinderella’s story? She struggled a lot before finding her Prince charming. I was no different. I was forced to taste failure before entwining myself with the tag called “Chartered Accountant”. I believed that my life was perfect and that failure can never be a part of my life. But, that failure taught me the reality of life. It taught me the nuances of successful life. Yes! Success befriends the level headed person.

Failure always strengthens us. It builds a strong base so that we remain unaffected by success or failure. I think that reaching that stage and understanding that life can never be stagnant is the most important lesson that failure teaches. Those lessons help us not to take things for granted. It guides to enjoy each moments in life with minimum expectations. Well, with minimal expectation and the ability to foresee failure, life would seem to be a huge gift wrapped box. The experience of unwrapping it with excitement and fingers crossed is the best feeling one could ever have!

Hey! Am I sounding philosophical? May be I am. That’s the fair reality too.

Failure also helps us recognize those whom we can rely upon. I still remember how my parents never lost faith in me. I remember them holding me gently, yet letting me walk myself. Then, there was my brother. He used to stay awake with me. He used to make me study and talk to me whenever I felt like the pain and expectation was too much to bear.

I clearly remember how beads of tears used to roll down my cheeks and wet those pages. I remember how those letters would dampen due to hot droplets of tears. I remember how I used to feel embarrassed to be a part of any public gatherings.

Ouch!!! I am realizing that the word “Chartered Accountant” is reminding me more of failure than success. It is reminding me more of the days I spent with tears burning the midnight oil.

And, at this moment, while jotting down those good old days, my eyes are clouded with tears. After all, the efforts and pain was worth it. I have attained my dreams. This Cinderella has found her Prince!!!

How amazingly life has changed. How great I am feeling. I still remember that twinkle in the eyes of my parents when I declared that I am finally a Chartered Accountant. I still remember how tears of joy rolled down and how I choked in happiness.

And today, I am so happy. It’s a year since my name has changed. My already 19 lettered name got an additional 2 lettered prefix - CA.

I feel like ranting and boasting. I feel like smiling and crying. I feel like thinking and typing. I feel like posting and feel happy. But, I am stopping here. I mean the post. But, as a Chartered Accountant… Miles to go before I sleep…..

CA Satya ……………

Only a beginning!!!